DA spreading malicious lies about Zuma - ANC

Cape Town - The ANC is set to take the DA to court for
"spreading malicious lies" about President Jacob Zuma and his Nkandla
homestead.

The ruling party said on Thursday the DA was guilty of
violating electoral codes and laws.

"In recent weeks, the DA has been engaging in
spreading malicious lies about the president, deliberately distorting the
findings in the public protector's report," ANC spokesperson Jackson
Mthembu said in a statement.

The ANC had, therefore, launched an urgent application in
the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to stop the DA from
"violating" the Electoral Act and Electoral Code of Conduct.

These prohibited electioneering based on false
information.

"On 20 March, the ANC learnt of a bulk SMS,
distributed by or on behalf of the DA, falsely accusing the president of having
stolen public money to build his private residence in Nkandla."

Mthembu said the bulk SMS contained the message:
"The Nkandla report shows how Zuma stole your money to build his R246m
home. Vote DA on 7 May to beat corruption. Together for change."

This, he said, demonstrated a "flagrant
disregard" of the election pledge, and was a violation of the Code of
Conduct and the Electoral Act.

"These false accusations are designed to influence
voters to perceive the ANC negatively and to distort public discourse."

Mthembu said the court application followed a letter of
demand, sent to the DA on 24 March, "wherein we demanded the DA... retract
and apologise for the false and vindictive text messages".

Calls for
impeachment

However, the main opposition party had "arrogantly
refused to retract and apologise". Further, the DA had used these
"deliberately fabricated false accusations" to call for Zuma's
impeachment.

"These false accusations unduly prejudice the person
of the president [and] the ANC, and poison the electoral atmosphere. In this
way they have undermined the fact that Parliament has not received and
considered the report of the public protector."

It was the view of the ANC that Chapter Nine
institutions, including that of the public protector, Thuli Madonsela, should
report to Parliament in writing on the outcome of their work which required
Parliament's attention.

"We agree with the chief whip of the ANC [Stone
Sizani] that such work assists Parliament with its oversight role and holding
the executive and other state institutions accountable.

"The public protector's response to the ANC chief
whip's assertion on the impeachment said that her office had not submitted its
report to Parliament, and that secondly she has not requested Parliament to act
on the report."

This emphasised the view that there was no basis for
impeachment arising out of her report.

Contacted on Thursday afternoon, DA federal council chair
James Selfe said he could not immediately say anything on the court
application.

"I can't [say anything] at the moment... I need to
discuss this with our attorney."

KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube has hit back at the Inkatha Freedom Party which has accused her of working with the ANC to stall processes in hung municipalities.

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